Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hangzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Hangzhou: $985 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Hangzhou
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Hangzhou Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Hangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$985

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Hangzhou

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Hangzhou actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $985 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Hangzhou $985

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,533 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Hangzhou $1,533

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,080 in Hangzhou, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Hangzhou $2,080

Phuket costs about 30% more than Hangzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Hangzhou are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Hangzhou 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.73 ¥24.75

19.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$26.03 ¥173

24.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.68 ¥31.06

88.25%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.48 ¥23.12

-18.68%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ฿29.40

$0.61 ¥4.04

42.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.33 ¥2.20

48.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.22 ¥8.06

109.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.23 ¥14.78

65.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.84 ¥12.19

-9.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$1.61 ¥10.69

-9.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.10 ¥7.31

36.36%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.11 ¥13.98

-0.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$19.06 ¥126

0.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.74 ¥24.84

-11.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.29 ¥68.3

6.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$2.32 ¥15.40

26.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.34 ¥8.90

26.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.52 ¥10.08

48.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.53 ¥10.17

35.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.94 ¥6.21

60.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$0.94 ¥6.26

46.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$0.63 ¥4.17

69.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$0.55 ¥3.64

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.02 ¥26.69

4.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$13.38 ¥88.8

40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$0.77 ¥5.10

136.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.65 ¥10.95

72.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$0.47 ¥3.12

208.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$17.73 ¥118

219.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.96 ¥13.02

54.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$0.38 ¥2.54

168.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$6.98 ¥46.35

-47.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.32 ¥8.73

11.36%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$19.7K ¥130.9K

35.73%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$18.4K ¥122.0K

45.18%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$96.4 ฿3,250

$48.04 ¥319

100.56%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.26 ฿380

$10.04 ¥66.6

12.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$15.02 ¥99.7

12.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$52.8 ¥350

27.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$20.00 ¥133

-46.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.55 ¥50.1

-0.66%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$476 ฿16.1K

$577 ¥3,826

-17.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$35.8K ¥237.5K

-68.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$60.2 ¥400

3.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$42.24 ¥280

-32.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$84.0 ¥558

12.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$111 ¥734

-22.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$552 ¥3,664

29.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$352 ¥2,334

39.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,117 ¥7,413

72.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$627 ¥4,159

128.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$7,668 ¥50.9K

-45.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$3,819 ¥25.3K

-20.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$1,582 ¥10.5K

-68.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.5

59.14%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hangzhou: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Hangzhou

$352 35.7% 28.3% $139

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Hangzhou

$235 23.9% 11.7% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Hangzhou

$73 7.4% 41.3% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Hangzhou

$134 13.6% 9.7% $12

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Hangzhou

$100 10.2% 17.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Hangzhou

$68 6.9% 17.5% $14

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Hangzhou

$23 2.4% 66.7% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $552 in Hangzhou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hangzhou are about 3.2 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $26 in Hangzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $235 – making Hangzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇳 Hangzhou

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

23:56 11:56 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

10,360,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 CNY = 0.151 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.151 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Hangzhou 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Hangzhou

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Hangzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,477 in Hangzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hangzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $552 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $26 in Hangzhou. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $985 in Hangzhou to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Hangzhou is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 23% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.